Hillsborough 4-Year-Old With Cancer Celebrates Positive News Ahead Of Christmas

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — It's been a rough year and a half for the Eick Family of Hillsborough as their 4-year-old daughter, Adeline, had to undergo countless of scans, procedures, surgeries and daily medications.

Now the family is finally able to share some positive news. Adeline's last few brain and spine MRIs from June, September, and now December have been stable - meaning there has been no new tumor growth and the other areas of concern are shrinking.

Adeline's scans came back on Sunday showing everything was stable and her doctor at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia wrote that he was "very happy" with the results.

"This is the best news we could have hoped for and we cannot begin to describe the relief we feel!" wrote Adeline's aunt Laura Lombardi, who started a fundraiser in 2021 when she was first diagnosed with brain cancer, a grade III glioma known as anaplastic astrocytoma.

"It's exciting news. We really are so happy that we get to enjoy Christmas and get to share this with her," said Adeline's father Ed.

However, while the recent scans were good Eick says his family is always in constant fear of what new cancer will crop up. Adeline must undergo scans every three months to monitor tumors and to see if any new cancers form.

"We are just enjoying her but every three months we are forced into facing the reality of a scan," said Eick. "When she gets a cancer we have to face it and hopefully get past it but there is always another one around the corner. We just put on a brave face."

Adeline's journey began at birth. She was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder called Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Syndrome (CMMRD). Although her parents Christine and Ed Eick did not discover that she had it until she was diagnosed on March 17, 2021. Read More: Hillsborough 3-Year-Old Fighting Brain Cancer Needs Your Help

CMMRD is a condition that greatly increases Adeline's chance of developing tumors in childhood leading to brain cancer, cancers of the blood, endometrial cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, and more. Almost all people with CMMRD syndrome develop cancer, often multiple times, before age 18.

While there is no cure, Ed Eick said the new medicine combination of chemo and immunotherapy has been showing positive results.

"I don't know if it's a miracle but it's shrinking things," said Ed Eick.

Adeline undergoes chemotherapy every three weeks and immunotherapy daily. There are side effects including hair loss and skin issues.

While the results continue to be promising Eick is unsure what the long-term impacts will be on Adeline.

Despite it all, Adeline at just 4-and-a-half-years-old remains in good spirits.

"She feels good. She gets up in the morning and wants to play with her blocks and we do a tower building contest. She also likes to go on walks when it is not too cold and play her Disney game on her Xbox," said Eick.

Throughout it all, Eick specifically wanted to thank the community for rallying around their family.

"It's been really helpful since all of this does take a toll on our budget and time and sanity and everything," said Eick.

As of Monday, the GoFundMe has raised more than $83,000 which helps the family cover hotel stays, fuel and travel costs, and food during Adeline's procedures in Philadelphia.

To learn more or to donate visit the GoFundMe fundraising website to help the Eick family with all of the medical expenses associated with Adeline.

You can also follow Adeline's journey at facebook.com/adelineprevails or adelineprevails.com.

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